South Korea’s unification minister on Thursday urged North Korea and the U.S. to restart working-level negotiations as soon as possible.

Speaking at an event marking the first anniversary of the Pyongyang Joint Declaration — on which DPRK media has remained conspicuously silent — minister Kim Yeon-chul said the potential for U.S.-North Korea dialogue remains alive.

North Korean officials did not attend Thursday’s ceremony, hosted by the South Korean government at the Office of Inter-Korean Dialogue in Seoul.

But despite a now months-long impasse in dialogue, Kim said all countries involved in diplomacy “value the opportunity [for dialogue] and to continue their efforts